Millwall 2–1 Swansea City: Last‑Gasp Heartbreak After Vigouroux Heroics at The Den

The Swans were dealt a sucker punch in the second minute of stoppage time this afternoon as Caleb Taylor headed a winner for Millwall on an afternoon where it looked like Lawrence Vigouroux and a strong second half fightback would see the Swans heading back to SA1 with a point in their pockets.

The winner came so late that there was no real time for the Swans to react and ended an afternoon where the home side could have been out of sight by half time if it were not for the brilliance of the Swans keeper but a second half performance suggested that we potentially deserved a point on that display alone as we turned the game not so much on its head but certainly changed the pattern with a resilient performance.

Ultimately though it was not meant to be and the Swans end the afternoon in 17th place, eight points above the bottom three and nine points off the play-off positions.

First Half: Relentless Millwall Pressure Tests Swans

Swansea went to The Den with five changes and the kind of patched‑together feel that can either spark something fresh or leave you scrambling to find your rhythm. Early on it was very much the latter. Millwall came out like a side who had been told all week to get in our faces and they did exactly that. Within minutes they were pressing high, forcing mistakes, and pinning us back with a stream of crosses that asked serious questions of Lawrence Vigouroux. Thankfully, he had the answers.

The opening twenty minutes were almost entirely one way. Millwall’s corners came in waves, each one whipped in with real menace, and every time it felt like the ball was going to drop to someone in blue. Crama towered above everyone for one header that skimmed the roof of the net and Vigouroux needed treatment soon after, which said everything about the pressure he was under. Even when we tried to break, the passes were rushed or overhit. The long ball to Ronald was clearly something Matos had spotted as a possible weakness, but it never quite came off in those early exchanges.

What kept us alive was the keeper. Vigouroux produced a double save that will be replayed for weeks, first denying Langstaff’s header then springing up to block Ivanovic on the rebound. It was the kind of moment that makes you believe you might just ride out a storm. And we needed to, because Millwall weren’t easing off. Azeez, Langstaff, Ivanovic, all had sights of goal. Shots curled over, crosses fizzed through the six‑yard box, and every clearance felt like a temporary reprieve rather than a shift in momentum.

Slowly though, almost quietly, the Swans began to breathe again. Yalcouye was at the heart of it. After weeks of wondering why he had been out of the side, here he was knitting things together, threading passes into spaces that hadn’t existed a second earlier. Twice he released runners behind the Millwall back line, first Ronald then Eom, and although neither move produced a shot on target, they were the first signs that we could hurt them if we found a bit of composure.

Samuels‑Smith also grew into the half, delivering a dangerous ball that would have found Vipotnik if not for a desperate defensive stretch. Galbraith tried to slide the striker in soon after but the timing was just off. These were small moments, but they mattered. After being suffocated for so long, Swansea were finally asking questions of their own.

Just as we looked like we might reach the break level, the pressure finally told. Another cross, another scramble, and this time Ivanovic reacted quickest, spinning sharply to fire past Vigouroux from close range. There was nothing the keeper could do. If anything, the surprise was that it had taken Millwall this long to make one of their chances count.

To our credit, the goal seemed to jolt us into life. Franco had a weak effort saved, Ronald forced Crocombe into a stop at the near post, and from the resulting corner Cabango struck a shot that would have been a certain equaliser if it had been either side of the keeper. For the first time all afternoon, Millwall looked a little rattled.

By the time the whistle went, Swansea could feel a strange mix of relief and frustration. Relief that the score was only 1-0 after a half where we were second best in most areas. Frustration because in the final minutes we had shown enough to suggest there was something in this game for us if we could just settle down and trust our football.

At the break, the task was clear. Matos needed to steady the midfield, give Yalcouye the support he deserved, and find a way to get Ronald and Vipotnik into the game more consistently. One goal down at The Den is never a bad position considering how the place can swallow teams whole. And with a keeper playing out of his skin, Swansea were still very much alive.

Second Half: Late Millwall Goal Denies Swansea

Swansea City walked out for the second half at The Den knowing they were fortunate to still be in the contest, yet what followed was a spell of football that showed real character. No changes were made at the break, but the shift in attitude was immediate. Within two minutes the Swans were level and suddenly the whole mood of the afternoon changed.

The equaliser came from exactly the sort of moment Swansea had been crying out for in the first half. Franco forced a corner, Eom’s initial delivery was cleared, and when the ball was recycled to the right Galbraith whipped in a teasing cross. Franco flicked it on and Cabango, completely unmarked at the back post, smashed it high into the net. A simple finish but a huge goal. It settled Swansea, lifted the away end and rattled a Millwall side who had been so comfortable earlier on.

Millwall tried to respond quickly but Vigouroux, who had already kept Swansea alive in the first half, gathered Mitchell’s long‑range effort without fuss. From there the momentum swung firmly towards the visitors. Vipotnik won a free kick deep in Millwall territory, Ronald and Galbraith both sent in dangerous balls from the right, and Franco almost threaded Vipotnik through again. Swansea were suddenly sharper, braver and far more assertive. The first half had belonged to Millwall but the second was being shaped by white shirts pushing higher and higher.

There were moments when the final ball let them down. Ronald overhit one cross, another delivery arrived just behind Eom when he was in acres of space, and a free kick that shouldn’t really have been awarded almost caught the Millwall keeper out before being scrambled clear. But the intent was there. Swansea were playing on the front foot and Matos sensed it, making a double change just before the hour to inject more energy down the left.

Even as Millwall began to re‑establish themselves, Swansea kept carving out half‑chances. Eom curled one over, Galbraith tried his luck from distance, and Fulton almost diverted a header into his own net only for Vigouroux to produce yet another outstanding save. The keeper was immense all afternoon and without him the game would have been gone long before the late drama.

Millwall’s threat never fully disappeared, especially through Azeez who caused problems every time he delivered from wide. But Swansea kept matching them. When Ronald was chopped down on the edge of the box, Sturge rightly went into the book, and from the resulting free kick the Swans came within inches of taking the lead. Galbraith’s shot was blocked, Fulton’s follow‑up was saved on the line and Burgess fired over from Cabango’s lay‑off. It was the best spell of pressure Swansea produced all game and it felt like the winner was there for them if they could just find one more moment of quality.

Instead, the match swung back and forth. Cabango’s rare mistake gifted Mitchell a sight of goal, Widdell cut inside and lashed one miles over, and Swansea pressed high without ever finding that decisive pass. Inoussa added fresh legs, Bobby Wales came on late, and still the Swans kept pushing. When Galbraith hit a speculative effort in the 90th minute, Crocombe almost spilled it into his own net. It was the kind of moment that makes you believe something is about to fall your way.

But football doesn’t always reward belief. Deep into stoppage time, after Swansea had defended yet another Millwall set piece, a long throw was allowed to bounce in the box. Taylor climbed above Stamenic and sent a downward header into the corner. Vigouroux, who had been faultless, looked furious with himself but he had no right to be. He had kept Swansea alive for 92 minutes. He deserved better.

The final whistle confirmed a 2–1 defeat that felt cruel given the fight Swansea showed after the break. On balance Millwall probably edged the game, but the Swans will know they had enough chances in that second half to take something home. They were brave, they were committed and they played with far more purpose than they had in the opening 45. It’s a tough way to lose, especially after working so hard to claw their way back, but there was enough in that second‑half performance to suggest this team has more resilience than the scoreline shows.

Closing Thoughts

This was one of those games that for large periods of the second half could easily have gone either way. You always wondered at half-time whether Millwall would regret their missed chances in the first half and Lawrence Vigouroux had one of those afternoons where it seemed he could do no wrong but his face at the end suggested that he thinks he could have done better for the winner.

Looking at the positives, the second half showed that we do not give up on games at all and on a different afternoon maybe the luck of the ball could have run our way a couple of times as we searched for that killer pass to get ourselves in front.

To lose in the second minute of stoppage time though is a bitter blow to absorb but we should not leave the Den with our heads dropped as there was again enough in the display to suggest that we will get more positive results than negative under Matos.

With the FA Cup coming up next week, it’s a chance maybe to give some starts to the likes of Wales, Casey and possibly even Ollie Cooper as we seem to be wanting him back in the squad. But for this afternoon it was a case of beaten but not disgraced. But this one does sting a little due to the timing of that winning goal.